


Lie Here With Me

by SaintSunlight



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Everyone Has Issues, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Lance Helps, Not Canon Compliant, Platonic Cuddling, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-05-31 23:26:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15130040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaintSunlight/pseuds/SaintSunlight
Summary: Lance has been having trouble sleeping - and it seems the other paladins have been, too. Lance plans to fix it, one friend at a time.





	1. Lance & Hunk

**Author's Note:**

> Back at it again with the nice fics lol. For those of you reading "I'm Proud of You, I Love You" it says complete, but I'm slowly planning more chapters. Until then, enjoy!

Lance was the one who started it. Well, and Hunk, too.

 

As their missions got harder, messier, and more complex, Lance found it harder and harder to sleep. He tried headphones, he tried eye masks, he tried counting sheep. None of it helped. Most times, he could toss and turn himself until he was too exhausted to, catching a few hours of sleep before they had to get up to start the day. More often than not, though, he found himself just lying with his eyes closed, floating just under consciousness but never truly sleeping. He was careful in hiding his lack of sleep - it hardly affected their missions, he made sure of it. But Lance wasn't sure how long he would last.

 

He later found he wouldn't have to worry about it for too much longer.

 

* * *

 

Yawning, Lance headed toward the kitchen, dessert the only thing on his mind. Hunk had surprised them all with a cake after dinner, a vanilla one with a sweet frosting and lots of fruit. Lance had held back tears as he ate it, and as he looked around the table, the other paladins seemed just ad emotional - even Keith. He knew, deep down, that he wasn't the only one who missed Earth; but the other's hadn't shown much emotion over it until then. Hunk had sent them all off to bed with warm milk afterward, but once again, Lance found himself lying awake, even with the milk and cake sitting satisfyingly in his stomach. After a few hours, lying there became too much. If was going to be awake, he might as well satisfy his cravings.

 

He wasn't expecting anyone else to have the same idea.

 

He paused in the hallway when he heard quiet sounds coming from the kitchen. Slowly, he padded forward, peeking in. He relaxed when he saw it was only Hunk, digging through the fridge.

 

"Couldn't sleep, buddy?"

 

Hunk jumped, nearly dropping the cake plate. He put it down before turning to face Lance. "Hey! Uh... No, I couldn't. What about you?"

 

Lance shook his head, going to lean next to the counter. "Nah. Came for some cake, just like you."

 

Hunk smiled, getting two plates and cutting them both slices before putting the rest back. Lance took a big bite of his cake, humming in delight. "You spoil us, Hunk, really."

 

The yellow paladin chuckled. "Cooking helps me relax. I'm glad you all enjoy it."

 

They stood in silence after that, eating cake and enjoying each other's company. Lance eyed Hunk as they ate. The larger boys movements were sluggish, and he could see the formation of dark circles starting under his eyes. Lance remembered that Hunk had a hard enough time sleeping back at the Garrison, far away from his family; he could only imagine how hard it was for him to be away from Earth. Lance siddled closer to him, leaning against Hunk's arm.

 

"Hey, big guy?"

 

"Hm?"

 

"How are you holding up with," Lance gestured vaguely with his fork, "all of this?"

 

Hunk's fork froze in front of his open mouth. Closing his eyes, he lowered it back to his plate. "I've... been better."

 

"Oh?"

 

"I just... I miss home, you know? Nothing serious. Just makes it hard to sleep sometimes." his eyes widened. "It won't affect the missions, I promise!"

 

Lance shook his head. "No, no, I understand. It's been the same way for me for a while now." The extra sugar wasn't sitting well with him anymore. He put the last of his cake on the counter. "I've tried a lot of things, but nothing helps as much as it used to."

 

Hunk finished his cake, taking Lance's plate and scraping the remains of the cake off the plate before washing them in the sink. When he was done, he turned around. "I know one thing we could try."

 

Lance raised and eyebrow, and Hunk looked away, wringing his hands together. "Remember how when we first started bunking together, and we couldn't sleep, so you'd crawl in my bed and we'd lay together and talk until we were tired?" he rubbed his arm. "Maybe we could try doing that? We don't have to talk, but just being near each other would help, I think."

 

For a heartbeat, Lance didn't say anything. Then, he grinned.

 

"That's a great idea, Hunk! You really are a genius."

 

Hunk's cheek darkened with a blush, but he smiled. Lance took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "My room or yours?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows, and Hunk snorted.

 

"Well our beds are about the same size, but if we want to keep the spirit of it, then we should go with my room."

 

They headed out of the kitchen, and back to Hunk's room. Lance felt an invisible knot loosen in his chest as they stepped inside. Hunk's room was organized chaos - neat piles of all manner of things took up space. It was oddly comforting. Hunk took a moment to neaten his sheets before getting in, pulling Lance with him. It was a tight fit, but they made it work.

 

Hunk sighed quietly. "This feels better." he whispered.

 

"Yeah." Already, Lance could feel sleep pulling at him, and he curled further into the warmth that was his best friend. "Think we should try the talking part?"

 

Hunk yawned. "Nah. We're good."

 

Lance's lips moved, but no sound came out. He closed his eyes, letting sleep drag him under.

* * *

 

The sound of the morning alarm pulled him back to consciousness. Yawning, he started to stretch, pausing when his arm bumped against something. Opening one eye, he smiled when he saw Hunk slowly waking up beside him. The blue paladin rolled out of bed, stretching.

 

"Morning." He said. Hunk blinked up at him before smiling. "Hey. Morning." He yawned and sat up. "How did you sleep?" he paused, eyes widening. "Hey, we slept!"

 

Lance laughed. "Yeah we did!" He shot forward, throwing his arms around his friend. "Thanks, Hunk."

 

Hunk hugged him back. "Thanks to you, too. I really needed to sleep." Lance let him go, and he stood up.

 

"I'm going to go change for breakfast. Same time tonight?" Lance wiggled his eyebrows again, and Hunk laughed.

 

"Sure. See you at breakfast."

 

With a wave, Lance left the room, heading to his own. He froze when Pidge's door slid open, the tiny paladin rubbing her eyes.

 

“Lance?”

 

“M-Morning, Pidge.” Lance rubbed the back of his neck. Pidge’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Where were you late last night? I went to talk to you but your room was empty.”

 

“I was in Hunk’s. We were talking and I guess I fell asleep. He let me stay the night.”

 

Pidge considered him for a moment, then shrugged. “Oh. Okay.” She went past him, and he watched her go, her gait slower than usual.

 

“Hey, Pidge?”

 

She stopped. “Huh?”

 

“What did you want to talk about?”

 

She shook her head. “Wasn’t important. I just… couldn’t sleep. No big deal.” She kept walking, and Lance watched her go, heart squeezing painfully in his chest. It seemed he and Hunk weren’t the only ones struggling.

 

He guessed he’d have to fix that.

 

Turning around, he kept going to his room, a plan already forming in his head.


	2. Lance & Pidge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance moves in on his next target: Pidge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 4th to those who celebrated, happy Wednesday to those who didn't! If you haven't check out "I'm Proud of You, I Love You," you should totally do that.

Lance knew that getting the other's to sleep would require different approaches. Cuddling with Hunk was easy - they were best friends, and both very affectionate. The others were different, and he'd have to be careful in the way he attacked the problem. Pidge was his most immediate concern - the youngest paladin was obviously not sleeping well, if at all. Like he and Hunk, she had dark circles under her eyes, and got crankier and crankier as days went on. The only time she kept her cool was with missions. Shiro had advised everyone to leave her alone, but Lance couldn't. She needed a good night's sleep - and Lance was going to help her get it.

 

It took him nearly two weeks to build up the courage. He talked to Hunk about it, and the yellow paladin had offered to make Pidge's favorite meal and dessert to soften her up. Pidge had responded well enough, enjoying dinner, and even chatting through dessert. But the moment they were sent to bed, Lance could see her mood deflate.

 

"It's now or never, dude." Hunk whispered to him. Lance nodded, and went by his room to change into pajamas before going to Pidge's room. He knocked on the door and waited. After a minute, it slid open.

 

Pidge frowned at him. "What do you want, Lance?"

 

"I wanted to talk to you for a second, if that's okay."

 

She sighed. "I guess." She went inside, and he followed. The door closed, bathing them in darkness. Pidge opened her laptop back up, the muted glow lighting up her face and the wall behind her. Lance sat on the edge of her bed, saying nothing. The trash aliens she picked up sat around the room, some sleep, but one was looking at him. He smiled, and it floated over to him, settling in his lap. He petted it, still silent.

 

After a moment, she looked up. "You wanted to talk?"

 

"I wanted to ask you something."

 

"Go on."

 

"How are you... How are you holding up with all this space stuff?"

 

Pidge's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

 

"I mean... Is there anything you need to talk about? Anything eating at you? I've noticed you haven't been getting much sleep lately. What's bothering you?"

 

Pidge's eyes had widened while he spoke, but she quickly looked down. "Nothing's bothering me, Lance, but I appreciate the concern. It's just been rough couple of days. You know, girl stuff."

 

"Pidge, we've been in space for a while, and you've never acted quite like this. I can't tell you how your own body works, but I'm still concerned."

 

She looked back up again, uncertain. "How can I convince you that I'm fine?"

 

Lance smiled, finding his opening. He gently moved the sleeping puffball to a safe surface before turning back to Pidge. "Sleep with me."

 

"What?"

 

"Not like that! I mean, cuddle with me. It helps to have someone nearby when you can't sleep. It might help you. It’s something I did with Hunk back at the Garrison, and recently, actually." When Pidge's face turned skeptical, he said, "let's just try it. If it really doesn't work, I'll leave you alone. Please?"

 

Pidge closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. Finally, she sighed. "Okay, fine. We can try it." She put her laptop aside, and she and Lance arranged themselves on the bed, her head resting against Lance's chest. Lance put a gentle arm around her, looking up at the ceiling. The soft sound of breathing filled the air.

 

It didn’t take as long as he thought for her to break. She wiggled and fidgeted for a minute, but Lance held still, letting her open up. Finally, she pressed her face into his side and sniffled.

 

“Lance?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I miss my mom.”

 

Lance’s heart shattered. “Oh, Pidge…”

 

“I’m happy that Dad and Matt are okay, but my mom… she’s all alone. She doesn’t know that we’re alive. I just abandoned her. I didn’t mean to!” Pidge began to cry in earnest, and Lance pulled her closer, until she was lying directly on top of him. She continued to cry, and Lance rubbed her back.

 

“I know I should be grateful that Voltron considers me special enough to be a paladin, and I know that we’re doing good, fighting against the Galra, but… I just want to go home. It’s too hard. I keep having nightmares of losing everyone. We keep fighting, and fighting, and fighting. When is it over? When do we get to go home?”

 

Lance hugged her tight, tears coming to his own eyes. “It will be okay, Pidge. This will be over soon, and then we'll get our lives back. I'm sure your mom is fine. If she's anything like you, she must be a strong woman. I bet she's raising hell at the Garrison, just like you did.”

 

Pidge sniffles, giggling wetly. “You think so?”

 

“I do.”

 

Pidge wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. “How are you so optimistic? I don’t get it.”

 

The tears that had been sitting in his eyes spilled over. “Honestly? I’m not. I know, somewhere in the back of my mind, that things could go wrong, but I don’t want to believe it. I want to believe that everything will turn out okay. That’s what we’re fighting for, right? For everything to be okay?”

 

“Yeah… yeah, you’re right.” Pidge raised her head to look at him. “Thanks, Lance. For coming tonight.”

 

Lance gently ruffled her hair, smiling. “That’s what friends are for. Now come on, try and get some sleep. If you have a nightmare, I’ll be here.”

 

Pidge laid her head back down on Lance’s chest, and soon, her breathing slowed. Lance closed his own eyes, sleep rolling over him like a tide.

 

* * *

 

 

He was roused the next morning by both the alarm, and Pidge waking up beside him. She’d slid off him some time in the night, but one of her arms still remained around him. He turned his head just as she slid out of the bed.

 

“Morning, Pidge.”

 

“Morning!”

 

Lance perked up at her tone. Opening his eyes, he sat up as she rubbed her own eyes before putting on her glasses. She turned and smiled at him.

 

“How did you sleep?” Lance asked, and was answered when she hugged him, tight enough to hurt, just a little.

 

“Thank you.” she murmured, and Lance hugged her back.

 

“You’re welcome.” When she let go, he stood up, stretching. “You know, Pidge, me and Hunk do this regularly now. If you ever want to join us, you totally can. I already talked to Hunk about it.”

 

Pidge pursed her lips, cheeks pink. “I don’t want to intrude-”

 

“Hey.” Lance put his hands on her shoulders. “Pidge, you’re not intruding. Hell, in a few days, Keith might be joining us.”

 

She snorted. “How are you going to pull that off?”

 

“Don’t worry about that. Lancey-Lance has got a few tricks up his sleeve. Just don’t hesitate to come to chill with me and Hunk, okay?”

 

Pidge nodded. “Okay.”

 

Lance hugged her one more time before bidding her goodbye. One paladin down, two more to go. He headed toward his room to dress for breakfast, wheels once again turning in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment (and pretty please don't say "update soon!")


	3. Lance & Kieth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this may seem a little OOC for Keith, Angst Master 300, but I needed it to be, lol. Still hope you enjoy the chapter!

"Dude, he's going to kill you."

 

Lance rolled his eyes at Pidge. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

 

Pidge grimaced, leaning back into Hunk. “Sorry. But you know how Keith is. He’s the walking “Loner” trope. He’ll never go for cuddling.” She bit into another donut, licking the power from her fingers. Lance’s face scrunched up - he was glad they had their own.

 

Hunk popped another donut in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. “I’d offer to make his favorite meal, but I don’t really know what it is. I only know that he really likes cookies. Plus, I don’t think food is the way to soften him up like me or Pidge.” He leaned forward, resting his chin on Pidge’s head. They were chilling on the bigger bed they had found to accommodate their current cuddle pile. There was enough room for one more person, and Lance was hoping it would be filled soon. He’d be thinking carefully about how to get Keith to agree to cuddling with him, but he was coming up empty. Hunk and Pidge didn’t seem to be having any better luck.

 

“Maybe you should just be honest.” Pidge said.

 

“He’ll think I’m messing with him. I don’t think that will work.”

 

“I dunno, man,” Hunk said, “I think Pidge is right. You were honest with us, weren’t you?”

 

Lance nodded. He had been honest with the both of them. The only difference was that they were all already close. They’d known each other at the Garrison and hung out. Hunk had only known Keith by name, and Pidge hadn’t known him at all before Voltron. Lance had only ever seen him as a rival until recently (he still did, but in a friendlier sense.) He sighed. “I guess that I’ll just have to go with honesty, then. Hopefully he doesn’t try to murder me before I can explain.

 

Pidge reached over and patted his knee with her non-licked hand. “Everything will be fine.”

 

Lance smiled at her before popping another donut in his mouth.

 

* * *

 

It took him another week to finally build up the courage to approach Keith, and in that time, Keith’s sleep deprivation was becoming more apparent. Surprisingly, he didn’t get angrier as he got more tired - he got quieter. He didn’t argue, he didn't fight with Lance; it was eerie to watch. Finally, after dinner one night, Lance followed Keith to his room. Keith didn’t acknowledge him until they got to the door.  “What do you want, Lance?”

 

“I wanted to talk to you.”

 

“About what?”

 

“I’m worried about you. You seem… off. You’ve been so quiet lately.”

 

“I’m always quiet.”

 

“Not like this, though. Can we go in your room and talk?”

 

Leith hesitated, then sighed. “Sure.” He went inside, and Lance followed. His stomach dropped at the bareness of the room - Keith didn’t seem to have anything that made the room  _ his,  _ short of his jacket draped over his desk chair and his dagger on the bedside table. Lance sat beside Keith on the bed.

 

“What’s going on, Keith?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Bullshit. Something’s bothering you.”

 

“So what? Since when do you care about my problems?”

 

Lance frowned at him, turning and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Listen Keith, because I'm only going to say this once - we all care about you. Yeah, I have this silly rivalry with you, but at the end of the day, you're my teammate and my friend. If something is bothering you, you need to come to one of us. I came to you, remember?"

 

"That's only because I was the leader at the time. You never came to me before then."

 

"You're right, it was because you were the leader. But also because I trusted you not to make fun of my feelings no matter how we felt about each other. Don't you trust us the same way?"

 

Keith looked away, face pained. Lance waited for him to speak.

 

"It's complicated. When we're out in battle, I trust you guys to keep me alive. But Shiro's the only person I've ever talked to about my feelings, and he has other things to worry about right now."

 

Lance frowned. "Keith-"

 

"Lance, I don't need to bother people with my stupid problems!"

 

"Your problems aren't stupid! God, Keith, I'm not asking you to pour your soul out to us, but if something is bothering you so much that you can’t get any sleep, that's a problem." Lance put his hands on Keith's shoulders. "Let me tell you something - asking for support doesn't always require a long talk. If things feel overwhelming, and you need to get away from it, just come to one of us and ask to stick around. Sometimes it's nice to be around people and distract yourself until you’re really ready to talk. Hunk could teach you a recipe, Pidge could answer your questions about tech, I could show you my skin care routine. Don't hide away in your room - or the training room, because I know you’ve been going there. That's not going to help you."

 

Keith stared at Lance with wide, shiny eyes. Blinking hard, he nodded. Lance relaxed a little.

 

"If you still want to be alone, I'll go." Lance said. "But I'm letting you know now that I'm here if you need me. I'll stay here tonight, if that's what you want."

 

For several moments, Keith just stared at him, expression searching. Then, he nodded.

 

"Please."

 

Lance smiled, and pulled Keith into a quick hug before tugging him down, arranging them until they were lying side by side. Keith curled up into himself, and Lance let him.

 

“What can I do for you, Keith?”

 

There was a beat of silence. “Can you pet my hair?”

  
Lance ran his hand down the silky black strands, and Keith relaxed a bit. Realization slams into Lance - Keith was alone for most of his life, and had probably not gotten much affection. Who could he ask, besides Shiro? And then, Shiro had disappeared. What had he done then? Lance's heart broke.   
  
"Keith, can I... Can I hold you?"   
  
Keith nods once, and Lance tugs him closer, wrapping himself around Keith as best he could. Keith was trembling, and he held Lance tight. Lance rubbed soothing circles on his back.   
  
Lance had a big family. Several siblings, and cousins to spare. While he may have never gotten all the attention he wanted, he got all the affection he needed. Tight hugs, smooches, tackles, tickles, pets, nudges, noogies - while some of those actions had seemed a little annoying at the time, Lance realized then that he had taken them for granted. He made a silent promise to himself never to do it again.   
  
Keith's breathing evened out, and Lance let the other boy's warmth lull him to sleep.   
  


* * *

  
  
Lance jerked awake, blinking into the soft light of the room. The bed next to him was mysteriously empty, and he sat up, yawning. "Keith?"   
  
The door to the bathroom slid open, and Keith stepped out. "I'm here. Morning."   
  
"Is it?" Lance mumbled. As if on cue, the morning alarm started going off. "Oh."   
  
Keith chuckled, sitting back down on the bed. He scratched the back of his neck, then cleared his throat.   
  
"So, um... Thanks."   
  
Lance smiled at him, and Keith smiled back.   
  
"I'm sorry for bottling everything up. I'm really not used to asking people for help. It was just me for so long..." Keith trailed off, and Lance put a hand on his shoulder.   
  
"You don't have to apologize. Just know that you have us if you need us, okay?"   
  
Keith smiled. "Okay."   
  
Lance got up, stretching. "I should get ready for breakfast. But if you want to, feel free to join us for cuddling tonight, or any other night. There's more than enough room."   
  
"I might take you up on that." He paused. “And… I want to talk to you, later. About what’s been on my mind.”   
  
Lance beamed, giving Keith a quick hug before leaving. Three paladins down, one to go. Lance looked around the empty hallway before do a quick happy dance. Making his way to his room, he began plotting his most complicated sleep attack yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment!


	4. Lance & Shiro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is almost the same length as the other three combined. I didn't plan to write so much, but I felt like there were things that Shiro and Lance had to tell each other. Please enjoy!

"There's no way he'll agree to it."

Lance picked up a pillow, throwing it at Keith, who caught it and hugged it to his chest. "That's not what I need to hear." Lance said.

Keith shrugged. "I'm right." He curled further into Hunk's side, and Hunk tightened his arm around him. At Lance's pout, Hunk laughed.

"Don't look at me like that, you're the one who moved."

Lance stuck his tongue out at him, but smiled.

"Where's Pidge?" Keith questioned.

"She's not coming. It's a space kind of night."

The other boys nodded. While they all loved cuddling, sometimes they had nights where they wanted to sleep by themselves. It was rare, but it happened. Sometimes they would pair off - Lance had spent a couple of night with only one of them, and he knew Keith favored staying with Hunk, though Lance had once seen Keith asleep with Pidge sprawled across his back. Most nights, though, they lay in the big bed; Pidge lying on top of Hunk or Lance; Lance on Hunk's side; and Keith curled up on either Lance or Hunk's other side. It was a nice system, but they all felt the absence. Though no one had said it outright, they all wanted Shiro to join them, and Lance was going to do his best to convince the oldest paladin.

Lance sighed, crawling toward the head of the bed and stretching out his legs. Keith stretch his own legs out on top.

"I don't think he'll go for it, but you always surprise me. Maybe you can convince him."

"Support from you? Now I feel the pressure." Lance leaned back against the wall. He knew his plan would have to be creative. Shiro wasn't easily persuaded, but he put up with a lot for the paladins. Whatever Lance did to convince him, he'd have to appeal to the Dad side of him to get him to agree.

He sighed in frustration, burying his face in a pillow - then froze. He had an idea.

Keith noticed. "What?"

"I have the dumbest idea ever, but I'm pretty sure it will work. Listen…"

* * *

It started with food. Like Pidge, Shiro was always won over by good food. Shiro didn't have a favorite meal, but he had a favorite dessert, and Hunk put his heart and soul into it. When dinner was done, he brought the dessert out on a tray - a sweet pastry loaded with lots of fruit and cream (thank you, Kaltenecker!) They watched as Shiro scarfed down his dessert, face turning red when Hunk immediately dropped a second one on his plate.

"I shouldn't-" Shiro started, but Hunk shook his head.

"Spoil yourself a little, Shiro! I made plenty."

The black paladin hesitated for only a moment before digging into the dessert. By the time the dishes were collected, Shiro was in a great mood. Lance made his approach. He put on his own pajamas, waited a moment, and then went to Shiro's room. He knock on the door.

It opened, and Shiro smiled at him. "Lance, what do you need?"

"Shiro! Can I show you something?"

Shiro raised an eyebrow, but nodded, following him. The headed past the bedrooms, toward a section of the castle they never went to. "Where are we going?" Shiro asked, but Lance didn't answer. Finally, they stopped at a door. Lance opened it before shoving Shiro inside. "Surprise!"

The room had been cleared of furniture, and what remained in their place was a blanket fort. A large one, almost a blanket tent. The walls themselves were made of whole blankets. Shiro's eyes widened as he took it all in.

"What?"

"It's a blanket fort! Come on." He picked up a flap and entered, and Shiro followed. The floor of the tent was covered in pillows and a couple of blankets. Lance plopped down on the pillows, and Shiro did as well.

"Lance, what is all this?"

"I've been dying to make a fort for a while now, so I did! I invited the others, but I'm not sure if they're going to come. Pidge had some code to work on, and Hunk and Keith both said they would try, but they looked exhausted, so I wouldn't count on it." No need to mention that he had instructed everyone to stay away for the night.

Shiro rubbed the back of his neck. "This is nice and all, but I'm tired, too, Lance. I think I'd appreciate it more in the morning."

"Aw, please stay for a little, Shiro? I feel like I only ever see you at training lately." Lance stuck out his lip in the most exaggerated puppy dog face he could muster. "Please?"

Shiro snorted, but sighed and gave him a patient smile. "I suppose I could stay for a bit. But what do we do in here?"

"I brought some books, if you want to read, but I was actually hoping we could talk."

"About what?"

"Well… do you ever miss home?"

Shiro, who'd been studying the ceiling, looked back down at the younger paladin. "Of course I do. Why do you ask?"

Lance shrugged, squeezing a pillow to his chest. "Dunno. You just never talk about it I guess. I was curious."

Shiro sighed softly. He was full of sighs, Lance noted. "No, I do."

"What do you miss the most?"

Shiro closed his eyes, considering. "Sitting down to dinner with my parents." He finally said. "It was always just me, my mom, and my dad, but it was so nice to go over to their house and visit. My mom always made too much food just to have an excuse to send some home with me. She'd tell me the latest family gossip and insist I bring a friend with me next time I came." Shiro chuckled. "She really meant girlfriend."

"And what about your dad?"

"My dad... He was always a very quiet man. He smoked a pipe, like to read the paper and yell at the news, but he wasn't much for small talk. He was always content, though. He always wanted me to succeed in life - the day I got accepted into the Garrison, he was so happy, he cried. And my father doesn't cry. Ever since then, I've tried my hardest to make him, and my mother, proud." He blinked, shaking his head. "Sorry. You didn't ask for my life story."

Lance rolled his eyes, gently whacking Shiro's bicep with the pillow. "You do know it's okay to talk to us, right?" At Shiro's confused look, he continued. "That's something you and Keith have in common. You keep all of your complicated emotions inside and put up a millions walls to keep people from seeing you struggle with them. You hide behind these careful constructed personas, and end up isolating people. You know Keith is the only person here who knows anything about you? And even that's not a lot. We won't think less of you for being open about your feelings. You're our leader, but you're also our friend."

Shiro stared at him, eyes wide. Slowly, he sat up, gripping the blanket tightly in his hands. "What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you're willing to tell me. I've talked to the others - we're all scared of something. Hiding it doesn't help. If you want, I'll tell you something first."

Shiro nodded. "Okay."

Lance closed his eyes, hugging the pillow to his chest. "Sometimes, I'm scared I'm not important to the team. Everyone has an important role except for me. I'm just kind of there. I know being a paladin is important, but I don't feel important, you know?"

Shiro put his hand on Lance's shoulder. "Lance, never doubt your place on this team. We wouldn't be voltron without you, and not just because you pilot the blue lion. You keep everyone's spirits up, even if we don't always appreciate your jokes. You're a really supportive friend, and I'm glad I got to know you."

Lance beamed at the older man. "Thanks. Things are a little better now, but I still needed to hear that." He turned serious. "what about you?"

Shiro bit his lip. "I'm scared that... That when we get back, no one I love will be alive. I've been gone for so long... Everyone probably thinks I'm dead. What if no one accepts that we're alive? What if the Garrison tries to cover it up again like they did the first time I found a way back?" Shiro was breathing rapidly, and Lance put a hand on his shoulder.

"Shiro, Shiro, calm down, it's okay! We're not going to let them. We're going to be there for you!"

Shiro closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Opening them, he smiled at Lance. "I... Thank you." He yawned suddenly, face turning red.

Lance nodded, looking away. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course."

"The whole reason I did this is because I noticed that everyone's been struggling to sleep lately. I realized it helps to have people you trust nearby, so I've been staying with the others to help them sleep. I wanted to do the same for you, but I didn't know how comfortable you would be with it, so I made this fort to seem less serious. But I want to help you. Will you lie here with me for a while?"

When he looked up, Shiro was smiling at him. "Of course, Lance."

They got comfortable on the pile of pillows, and Lance yawned. "Night, Shiro."

"Good night, Lance."

He wasn't sure Shiro was going to stay there all night, but he hoped. Burrowing deeper into his blanket, he nodded off.

* * *

A muffled scream startled him into wakefulness. Whipping his head around, his blurry vision landed on Shiro, sitting beside him and shaking horribly.

"Shiro?"

"S-Sorry, I - go back to sleep, L-Lance." He moved to exit the tent, but Lance grabbed his arm.

"Don't run, Shiro. Talk to me. Nothing is going to get better if you run away."

_"I can't."_

"Yes, you can. If you want us to trust that we can talk to you, you have to talk to us. Whatever you say here will stay here."

Shiro hesitated in his crouch for a long moment, still shaking. Then he sat back down. Lance could exhaustion gripping him.

"It was just a nightmare. I have them a lot."

"So do the others. It's okay. What do you dream about?"

Shiro looked down at his hands. "Hurting you guys, mostly. Sometimes I... I..." Shiro's hands turned to fists, and his eyes squeezed shut. He curled into himself, a wet sob escaping his throat. Lance moved closer to him. "I don't want to hurt any of you." Shiro whispered.

"You won't. You know you won't. It's okay, Shiro." He gently pulled Shiro until his was lying back down, wrapping his arms around him. Shiro didn't protest, sniffling into his hands. Lance just held him.

Shiro's quiet sobs slowed, but Lance kept his hold on him. "I'm sorry." Shiro whispered, and Lance sighed.

"You're human, Shiro, and you've been through a lot. It's okay to lean on someone."

There was a quiet chuckle. "When did you get so mature?"

"I can be mature when I need to be. Now go to sleep. I'll be here." He thought Shiro would struggle away from him, but the older paladin just sighed softly. Lance knew it would be a while before Shiro could easily talk to the paladins about what bothers him, but Lance was willing to wait, and he knew the others would be too. He just hoped Shiro would at least join them. He would ask in the morning.

He waited for Shiro's breathing to even out before giving into sleep once more.

When he woke the next morning, he was lying against something warm. He moved his head up. He was resting on Shiro's arm, his hand gripping his black T-shirt tightly. Shiro lie awake, staring at the ceiling of the fort.

"Sorry for holding you hostage." Lance whispered. Shiro blinked, looking down at him.

"It's okay. I don't mind."

Lance sat up, yawning and rubbing his eyes, and Shiro sat up as well.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not long." Shiro replied. He looked down at his hands. "About what happened last night... Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me."

"I do. I haven't been sleeping well, you're right. Normally I can work through it, but lately I've been waking up the same way you saw last night. But last night's the first time in a while I've been able to go back to sleep at all, and I'm grateful." He smiled. "I've been thinking a lot since I woke up and you're right. I do need to learn to rely on you guys the same way I ask you to rely on me."

Lance blinked, surprised to feel tears in the corners of his eyes. All he could do was nod.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to get anymore sleep, so I'm going to head back to my room. You should get some more sleep, though."

Lance shook his head. "I'm awake now, I think I'll go back to my room, too."

They exited the fort, Shiro turning to look at it one more time before pulling Lance into a hug. "Never doubt your place on this team." He said, voice rough, and Lance was certain he would cry. They left the room.

When they got to Shiro's room, Lance stopped the black paladin. "The others and I get together at night to cuddle. It's helped us sleep. You don't have to join us if you don't want to, but the door is always open for you, and there's always room if you do."

Shiro nodded. "I'll think about it." With one last wave, Shiro disappeared into his room, and Lance walked to his own, deep in thought. He realized suddenly that the cuddling had become something bigger than just cuddling. It bled out into the day - they were always giving each other platonic touches without even thinking about it. He and Hunk were naturally affectionate, but Keith would sometimes lean against them, or rest his fingers on their arms or hands. Pidge full out laid across them in she could, or leaned against them as well. She'd taken quite a few naps on their laps, too.

Walking into his own room, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He never would have thought that running into Hunk in the kitchen that night would lead to what they had then. They thought they were in sync, since they had to be to form Voltron, but they hadn't even seen that they were all struggling. No more, though. Things would get better from there. Even if Shiro decided not to join them, he was opening up, and that was enough.

He laughed as he was hit by a random thought: He couldn't wait to introduce his Earth family to his space family.

* * *

"He's not coming, is he?"

Lance put a hand on Pidge's head. "Maybe not. We knew this might happen, don't be so down. It may take him a while to get use to the thought."

Pidge grunted into her pillow, but was otherwise silent. Even Keith and Hunk looked a little down, and Lance wished he could do something to make them feel better. But he couldn't rush Shiro; it wouldn't help. All he could do was be there for the others.

He was just getting ready to start arranging everyone when there was a timid knock at the door. The paladins looked at each other, eyes wide. Lance got up and opened the door.

Shiro stood there, holding a pillow under one arm. He scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not too late, am I?"

The paladins all grinned. Lance pulled Shiro into the room and shoved him toward the bed, closing the door behind him. Hunk and Keith pulled Shiro onto the bed, laughing, and Shiro laughed with them. They piled onto Shiro, all grinning up at him.

"We're so happy you came!" Hunk said.

"I'm... happy you wanted me here." Shiro said. "I... I'm a little nervous, because I have nightmares, and I don't want to disturb your sleep."

"It's okay. I do, too." Pidge confessed. "At least one of us will stay up with you until you calm down. Don't worry about it!"

Lance turned out the light before finding a good spot on Shiro-the-human-pillow.

"If you want us to get off, just let us know." Keith said.

"I'm okay. This is really nice." Shiro's voice was shaky, but no one commented on it. "How did you find a bed big enough to do this?"

"It's technically two beds!" Pidge chirped. "We modified the frames a little so that it could hold our combined weight."

Shiro chuckled. "You guys are amazing." He yawned. "Good night, everyone."

The paladins called out their good nights. Hunk put a hand on Lance's arm, and Lance looked up at him.  _'Thank you!'_  the yellow paladin mouthed, and Lance beamed.

 _'Thank you.'_  he mouthed back, and Hunk grinned back before getting comfortable and closing his eyes. Lance did the same, still smiling to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment!


	5. Lance and Everyone!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaa, I'm so sad that this is over!! I can't believe it! This was such a fun story to write, I really needed something light to get me through everything going on in the series. I'm going to finish "I'm Proud of You, I Love You and then decide if I want to do more fluffy stories after that. Please enjoy this chapter!

“Hey Lance? I won’t be available to cuddle tonight.”

 

Lance nodded, helmet in hand. They had just finished a liberation mission, and they were _exhausted._ Nobody had been hurt too badly, just a little banged up, but the battle had been hard. The citizens gratitude was sweet, though. They’d thrown the paladins a small party, fed them good (if not questionable) food, and sung their praises. By the time it was all over, Lance had been dead on his feet, ready to throw himself into the cuddle pile. Looked like he was going to be one member down.

 

“That’s fine.” he said to Pidge, before addressing the rest of the paladins. “Anyone else going solo tonight?”

 

There was a pause, and then Keith, Shiro, and Hunk all raised their hands. Lance raised an eyebrow. It was rare that everyone wanted to sleep in their own beds, but Lance supposed it was bound to happen again eventually. He nodded again. “Okay, that’s fine.”

 

“You’re not mad, are you?” Keith asked, eyebrows drawn.

 

“Of course not! We’ve all split up before. It’s perfectly fine if everyone wants to go to their own rooms.” Lance stretched, sighing contently. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m exhausted. I’m going to shower and head to bed. Good night.” He hugged everyone before he made his way out of the hangar and toward his bedroom.

 

He really wasn’t mad. The cuddling was just a help for nights when they couldn’t sleep. If everyone felt well enough to go back to their own beds, he was happy for them. His sleep had improved as well, and while he preferred their cuddle pile, he wasn’t going to hold anyone hostage. Lance hummed softly to himself as he gathered his things before getting into the shower, the hot water soothing his sore muscles. He quickly washed himself up, rinsing off before stepping out of the shower and toweling off. Throwing on his pajamas, he went back in his room.

 

Just as he was getting ready to crawl under the covers, there was a knock as his door. He opened it.

 

There was no one there, but a note on the ground. Lance picked it up. In Hunk’s somewhat neat scrawl, it read: _Quick! Find the sleeping Yellow Lion._

 

Brow furrowed, Lance looked up and down the hallway. Seeing no one, he ducked back into his room to put on his slippers before heading out. _The sleeping Yellow Lion_? Did that mean Hunk’s room? Why did he leave a note instead of talking to him? Shrugging to himself, Lance headed off to his friend’s room, hoping he’d find some answers there.

 

Hunk’s room door was open, and when Lance peeked inside, he was confused to find it empty. Maybe the other’s hadn’t gone to bed yet? But what were they up to then? His eyes widened when he saw the small, yellow lion plush toy sitting on Hunk’s bed. Is that what he was supposed to find? He picked it up, seeing there was a note pinned to the back. He removed it. This one was in Pidge’s messier handwriting. _Good! Now find the Green Lion._

 

Sighing, Lance smiled to himself as he headed to Pidge’s room, closing Hunk's door behind him. Just like Hunk’s, Pidge's door was open. A green lion plush sat on her pillows. Lance tiptoed around the mess, gabbing the plush and reading the attached note, in Keith’s disaster scrawl: _Don’t miss the Red Lion, Sharpshooter._

 

At that point, Lance couldn’t control his grin, barely remembering to close the door before rushing to Keith’s room. The red lion plushy waited for him there, the note on the back in Shiro’s handwriting: _Almost there. Find the Black Lion._

 

Lance hesitated outside of Shiro’s room. He’d only been in there a couple of times, and it still made him nervous. Going in there without him felt wrong, even with the door sitting wide open. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside, picking up the black lion plush. There was no note, but Lance didn’t think he needed one. His friends weren’t in their rooms; there was only one other place they could be. He made his way to what he had dubbed their cuddling room.

 

The door was closed, and for a moment, Lance thought he made a mistake. But what was this scavenger hunt for? What were they up to? Hugging the push toys tight, he opened the door.

 

And gasped.

 

Where the bed should have been, there was instead a replica of the blanket fort he’d made for Shiro, but somehow bigger. He stepped into the room, the door closing behind him. “Guys?” He called out meekly, walking toward the tent, and there was a rustling sound before a section of the door lifted. Lance stepped in.

 

The other paladins sat on piles of soft blankets and pillows, smiling up at him. A blue lion plush sat in the middle of them. “Surprise!” Pidge cried, laughing, and Lance’s brows scrunched up in confusion.

 

“What-?”

 

“We were talking the other day,” Keith said, “and we realized that we never said thank you for helping us all.”

 

“If you hadn’t come to all of us, we’d still be sleepy terribly by ourselves.” Hunk said. He reached out, pulling Lance down on the blankets and putting the blue lion in his lap.

 

“Or not sleeping at all.” Shiro said. “What you did for us was amazing, and we just wanted to say thank you. I told the others what you did for me, and they remembered you saying how much you liked blanket forts. So we remade it.”

 

“And,” Pidge said, pulling out a small pen-sized object, “we made you this.” She clicked it and pointed it up in the air. A small constellation in the shape of the blue lion spun in the air, and Lance’s jaw dropped. Pidge pressed the pen in his hand.

 

Lance didn’t know what to say. It was so simple… but so sweet. He knew the cuddling was important to them, but he didn’t realize just how much until that moment. Clicking the pen off, he shuffled around, hugging each of the paladins before sitting back down, tossing each lion to its respective paladin and hugging the blue one to his chest.

 

“Did you like your surprise?” Pidge asked.

 

“I love it. Really. Thank you so much, guys.” His eyes widened when he yawned, and he laughed. “Sorry. Still exhausted.”

 

Shiro nodded. “I think we all are. Let’s get some sleep.”

 

Lance put the pen under his pillow, and they settled down into their usual cuddle positions: Pidge on one side of Lance, squished in by Hunk the way she liked; Keith on his other side, boxed in by Shiro. They would probably spread out, or twist up the blankets, or smother someone in the night - and Lance would enjoy it all, because they were his family, and he loved them. “I love you guys.” he murmured out loud.

 

“We love you, too.” Shiro responded, the other paladins making sounds of agreement. Snuggling down into the warmth of the blankets and his friends, hugging his blue lion tight, Lance drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! I hope you liked the story. Don't forget to comment!

**Author's Note:**

> I learned that there was fanart of my work by the lovely hardlynotnever on Tumblr, so please check them out! I'm saint-sunflower there!


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